File #11371: "rg1_01_31_002.pdf"

This lett er to you was to have been written
by Dr. Jenkins,
his sudds.n .. and ux:rtimely death, it has beoome 1ey task to aoguaint
needs and to seek your aotiire ~ooperation
and assistanoe.

but, because of
you with our

I feel that you should know that the State Board of Eduoation has a ten-year
building
program for the expansion of the State Teachers Colleges.
This plan will
provide for the Danbury Teaohers College:
l) · small "islands"
of land, now privately owned, located behind the college
building.
This land adjoins the present
tract
of seventeen aores;
2) a modern training
school to be built on the land
specified
above;
3) a wing to the present coilege building
to provide adequate
space for laboratories,
music praotioe
rooms, gymnasium and classrooms.
The plans for the Teachers Colleges at New Haven and New Britain
provide for
additional
land and buildings
for both colleges.
These colleges
are also badly
in need of additional
facilities.
The Willimantic
teachers
College is now aonstructing
a oollege building
to replace the one which recently
burned.
The Danbury Teachers College is, as you well know, primarily
interested
in
preparing
teachers
for the sohools of Connecticut.
Today when we are fac~ with
a great teacher
shortage,
our need of . a modern laboratory
sohool is of first
and
primary im.portanoe.
We are still
using Balm.forth Avenue, Locust Avenue, Miry
Brook and Mill Plain Schools but they are now very inadequate
and outmoded.
Interroom or school activities
such as group games, motion pictures,
radio pro grams,
sohool plays and parties
cannot be enjoyed by our ohildren;
hot lunohes are impossible
except in one school where they ara served in a basement.
Coupled with our primary function
of training
teachers
is the task of meeting
the needs of the youth and adults in other fields.
We are now a regional
oollege
with five curricula
instead of one and with a four-year ·program instead of the
single two-year curriculum.
Our fo~r-year
degree-granting
courses include majors
in elementary
education,
public school musio, and rural education.
The two-year
Junior College curricula
prepare students
in the fields
of electronics,
laboratory
technology,
and in the general .field of arts and so iences;
- the courses which ,
are needed by students transferring
to other colleges.
Because Veterans have entered Danbury Teachers College in great numbers, we are taxing our facilities
to
the maxim~m to meet their diversified
needs.
To illustrate
a few of our needs:
the enrollment
in our science courses has
pyramided.
Classes must be limited because of insufficient
laboratory
space, a ·
faot which causes hardship on students
wanting and needing work in science.
The
addition
of music as a field
of specializatio~
requires
sound-proof
practice
rooms
and a room .for orohestra
rehearsals.
Our gymnasiUJn ,was \iuilt in 1906 for women
students.
The regulation
siBe of a single basketball
court is larger than the en•
tire floor space.
You may well imagine our problems in making physical
activity
attractive
to and adequate for 5tudents
in such a cramped spaoe.
Your Alma Mater is asking your active assistanoe
and support in order to
aohieve better
educational
facilities
in our state.
We sincerely
hope that you
will be enthusiastic
in your efforts
to inform the people in your area of the
program which has been planned by the State Board of Education.
M:, very
opportunities

sincere good wishes to you in your efforts
for all of our students•

to improve educational

Sincer e ly yours,

---i,._
1 --

/\ !(..,_:..__
t-<
.-

v- )

I

~r~

November

The preceding
letter
describes
the building
Board of Eduoation,
to meet the immediate
and urgent
of us have been long hoping for this day to come.

4,

1946

program,
planned by the
needs of our Alma J:ater,

State
Miny

Some who were·here
"when the normal-school
was new 11, remember that the·
elementary
schools were,
in fact,
model-schools
and were visited
by many persons,
from far and nen.r.·
The more recent
classes
have trained
in tbe same rooms, each
avmre, in its turn,
that the buil d ings were such as to ma.1-:.eincreasingly
difficult
the exemplification
of' a good eler.i .0ntary-school
pror;ran.
You all lmow the pressing
need for a ",, odern laboratory-school
e.t Dan bury; it :ts realli
imperative
here if many
future
teachers
are to continue
to have optimal
preparation
for their
profession.
The annual Alumni ~Jews-Lf3ttcr has kept you acquainted
with the exps.nsion·
of the Teachers
College
offerj_ngs
in the fields
of science
and public-school
munic,
and of the ch2.nges Lmde to meet the needs of many rnen e.nd women students,
veterans
9.s well as civilians.
The nddition
to the main colle ge building,
for these purposes
~nd for gymnasium space,
is urgent.
The State Board of' Education
has done its po.rt; our Association
of' the
De.nbury State
Teachers
College
Alumni, at the 1946 Reunion,
heartily
endorsed
the
nrogram and pledged their
active
co-operation.
Building
programs
can become realities
r.iade available.
The General Assembly has the
i.'or all Ste .te purposes.
Iii.ny members of this
high the sta:::1clards of education
in the State;
the L":1i,~ortant p art played by strong; Teachers
can help ycur collece,

only r,hen sufficient
funds are
responsibility
for such appropriation
Legislature
e.re interested
in keeping
however, they IllElY not fully
realize
Collece
pro~rams.
This is vrhere you

\'inerever
you are 1 i ving in the State,
you should talk with the one, or two
Represent a tives
from your tcnm and the Senator
from your district,
about the imperative need of Legislc.tive
appropriations
. to impleaent
the Str ,te Board of Edvcat :i.on
pro g:ran for a building
program for the Tee-chers Colleres.
These buildir.gs
are
essential
thr,t this Ste,te may continue
to have Hell-prep
r.red teri.chr-rs for its increc .sing school populction,
and to J:1al:e it possi0J.1; tc r:10et the other :>J.e
e d s , on a
college
level,
of both the vet0ran
and civilian
youth of Connect i cut.
'J.'ry to ret
the ACTIVE support
o.f each Lerisl a tor;
keep in touch with events to see if further
convincing
tlata are needed,

If you feel thnt you need further
informe.tion,
write
and reque~t
it.·
you see your lav,mal:ers,
report
to us on the enclosed
blr..nk.
Let us know, also;
you are willing
to be a press 3.f,ent, or ·s p eaker before
c roups,
or on the radio,
your locality.
If you are residine;
in ri..nother
friends
and urce them to do this for you.

St£ ,.te,

write

to your

family

Vk need your help!
Very cordHi.lly

yours,

)/elt •1v l ~·,.l)t;,
...
J,, ,.
~/ui~lou
.::J,
President
Danbury Teachers

College

Alur.ini

arid

As
if
in

Please mail this half of the page to Mrs. Faul Selelonis,
. n..ubu:c:v • .r.~eo:r.i<:1:1t• ~' November 2?, 1946.
I am willing
to do, whatever I can, to brin~
part of the Sta .tr. -~ .. -ii ,.... . ~h ....-..(i-.t,,,.. t.nn-y.,ar

15½ ~-,;,spei,t

Sti-ed-t,

about ·the r;-uition
of the 1947
hil11ding
program for the Teachers

..•.-.,.'1 , . <:::.-,A,. .

(Please

check,

•••••

by writing

•••••

by being

•••••

by speaking

articles
a radio

and having
speaker.,

them printed

in the

if needed

in the town(s}

of••·••·•••··••··•••·••·•··•

as •••••...•......•.•.•....•..•••.•.................

Narne ••••••

Please limil this half
Danbury, Connecticut,
(I-lease

such groups

, ........................

• •••••••••.••••.•....•••

class

.

• ••••

~

--- ----------------- ---

of the paGe to !:rs. Faul Selelonis.,
by January 15, 1947.

15} Prospect

Street.,

check)

I have talked
Representative
Representative
Senator

oefore

......................................
............... .. .....................

Address

--------------

•••••••••••••••··•••·••••••
(newspap~r)

with

.......................................
..... ..... .............. ................

......
•••••
•••••

•••••••••••••••·•••••••a••••••••••••••••••••••

I hr.ve placed a check after
the nanes of each one who has· alree,dy assured
me that he is in favor of the implementation
by appropriations.,
of 1947 part of
the State Board of Education procram for the Teachers Colleges.
£Jame •• • ••••••••••

Address

, •••••••.••.•••••

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Class

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